Water heater



1 a m an ..n n a' Filed Oct. 23. 192: I

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(ll-Ill II INVENTOR WITNESSES:

Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,558,823 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. BAYNE, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA. ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER HEATER.

7 Application filed October 23, 1923. Serial .No. 670,347.

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that I. Gnonen M. BAYXE. a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Hamilton. in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lVater Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically heated devices and particularly to electric fluid or conduit parts and an inner casing substantially co-extensive. therewith, the two casings beingsoperatively connected at their lower ends only and having an annular water chamber therein. An electric heating element is located in the upper part only of the inner casing within which it is supported by a combined terminal lead and supporting member.

A plurality of terminal members are mounted on a terminal bridge that is supported on the lower end of the outer casing. A terminal box is secured to the lower end of the outer casing, and it has mounted on its outer surface a suitable control switch.

In the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is. a .view, in vertical longitudinal section, of a fluid heater embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view, in side elevation, of a unitary heating element and terminal structure.

Fig. 3 is a view, in side elevation, of a refractory resistor supporting section, Fig. 4 is a top plan view ofa refractory spacer and Fig. 5 is a schematic view in side elevation, of a heating systemcomprising the tie vice embodying my invention.

An outer casing for a heater comprises a standard reducing pipe coupling 11 that is mounted on the upper end of a length of standard pipe 12. to the lower end of which there is secured a standard reducing pipe T 13. A terminal supporting member 14, of substantially tubular form, has screwthreaded engagement with the lower end of the member 13 and is provided with an inwardly extending screw-threaded flange portion 15.

An inner casing' 16 comprises a seamless metaltube of relatively thin material, closed at its upper end and open at its lower end which is provided with screw threads cooperating with the screw-threaded flange portion 15 to permit of close operative engagement between the inner casing member .16 and the terminal head 14. The inner dimensions of the members 12 and 14 and the outer diameter of the inner casing 16 are such as to provide an annular water chamber 17 between the two members that may be of any suitable or desired radial thickness. outer casing that is built up of standard pipe A heating element 18 comprises a plurality of tubular members 19. of a refractory electric-insulating material. that are respectively provided with relatively wide screw threads on their outer surface within which a suitable resistor member 21 may be located. The members 19 are provided with recesses 22 at one end and with corresponding projections 23 at their other end in order that the adjacent members 19 may interlock with each other and preventing turning movement of one member relatively to an adjacent member. The screw threads are of. double pitch in order that two sections of the resistor member 21 may be wound simultaneously from one end of the assembled members 19 toward the other end whereby both ends of the resistor member are brought out at one end of the heating unit. I

At the upper end, the resistor member 21 is electrically connected to the upper end of a clamping stud 24 to which it is secured by a plurality of co-operating nuts 25. The stud 24 is maintained co-axially with the members 19 by means of a spacer 26 of suitable refractory material thatis held in its proper operative position relatively to the stud 24 by aplurality of nuts 27. A spacer 26 is mounted on the lower end of the stud 24 and held thereon by c0-operating nuts 27, the two spacers being of course so located relatively to each other and to the plurality of abutting=and interlocked sections 1 9as to be located closely adjacent to and within the respective outer ends of the end members 19. r

A combined terminal lead andheatingunit-supporting member 28 comprising a relatively narrow metal bar, of substantially L-shape, has its upper end secured to the lower end of the stud 24 by a'nut 2'? clamping the end of the member 28 against the other nut 27 p1-ovidedior holding the spacer 26.' The lower and or" the member 28 is secured to' terminal member 29 comprising a screw-threaded stud and a plurality of nuts 3l-tliat are insulatedly mounted on a terminal bridge 32 comprising a metal bar bent to substantially U-shape. The lower ends of the resistor member 21 are electri- Cally connected'to suitable terminal members 33 and 34'mounted on the terminal bridge 32'," by means of terminal leads 35 and 36. The terminal members 33 and 34 are here illustrated as comprising a bolt 01'' stud and a plurality of co-operating nuts mounted thereon, and operative to secure the stud or bolt on the terminal bridge and also to hold the end o1 the terminal leads thereon. However, any suitable or desired type of terminal member may be employed.

.A terminal box 3Tis secured to the bottom end otthe terminal he'ad 14 by means .ota. plurality of machine screws 38.. The

7 terminal hon 37 is provided with a removable bottom plate 39' to permit of easy accessto the terminal leads and terminal members. The terminal bridge 32 has its two ends operatively secured against depending lugs 41 inte 'ralwith the bottom portion of tlie'iterminal member 14, machine screws 42 serving to clamp the bridge 32 against the lugs 41. i

V A suitable control switch 43 is secured against the outer surface of the terminal box 37 and itsterminals are connected to the terminal members 31, 33 and 34 bya plurah ray of conducting leads Supply circuit conductors 45 connect proper termmals of the en-'01 switch 43 to asuitable source of electric energy (not shown). I

Fig.5 of the drawing illustrates schematica'l'ly" the connections of water heater to a tank 46. y The other connections for the supply and the removal of the water are those ordinarily used and hence not further illustrated; 01* described.

. It ma be oted that th ater enters the heater through opening 47 in the pipe T l3'and,l'ea'vesf the heater at the top thereof through the member 11. The annular space I? efiite'nds wellbelow the heating element 18 thjatis of such length that it is located in the uppe portion only or the inner casing 16;; its 16 ta being substantially oppothe inlet r pening 4.7. This gensuaeuen provides water packet in the terminal member-'14 forming a' thermal loclr in the annular space 177' at the" lower 1 end thereof and is very effective in keeping the temperature: of the terminals and-- of the terminal leads at arelatively low value;

The heating unit 18 may be easily and quickly removed tromits normal operative position within the inner casing 16 after having removed the'bottom plate 39 from the terminal box 37. By removing the screws 38, the switch box may be moved downwardly, the leads 44 being made long member 12 and by employing a suitable number of resistor-supporting members'19, it being understood or coursethat if a heating unit of greater capacity is desired, it is necessary to use a resistor member 21 of heavier wire to permit a larger current to traverse the same when in actual operation.

By using a single resistor 21 that'is' wound in the double pitch screw threadsa'ndby connecting th mid'dle of its length to the stud 24 at the top thereof, as hereinbetore described it is possible to provide a three-heat control of the resistc'r in which case, the control switch 43 should be of a corresponding type of construction.

Various modifications and changes may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I desire, therefore. that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are set forth in. the appended claims. v

I claim as my invention: j

1. In an electric water heater, in combination, an elongated inner casing'having a closedupper end, an electric heating element in the upper part only of said inner casing, terminal leads connected thereto'and extending beyond the lowerend of said casings being connected at their lower ends only and having an annular Water chamber therebetween, an electric heating element in the upper end only of said inner casing and a combined terminal and heat-element supporting member directly secured to and operatively supported from the lower end of said outer casing.

3. In an electric Water heater, in combination, an elongated inner casing, an elongated outer casing enclosing said inner casing, said casings being connected at their lower ends only and having an annular \Zltl chamber therebetween, an electric heating element in the upper end only of said inner casing, terminal leads depending from said heating element, a terminal bridgev secured to and supported by said outer casing and terminal members mounted thereon, said heating element, terminal leads, terminal bridge and terminal members being removable as a unit from said inner casing.

4. In an electric Water heater, in combination, a pair of substantially coextensive and coaxial casings having an annular Water chamber therebetween, a heating unit in said inner chamber, a terminal bridge mounted directly on the outer casing at the lower end thereof, and a combined terminal lead and heating-unit-supporting member supported by said terminal bridge.

5. In an electric Water heater, in combination, a pair of substantially coextensive and coaxial casings having an annular Water chamber therebetween, a heating unit, comprising a plurality of coaxial, abutting, grooved tubular refractory members and a resistor member Wound in said groove, and a combined terminal lead and heating-unitsupporting member associated therevtdth.

6. In an electric Water heater, in combination, a pair of substantially coextensive and coaxial casings having an annular Water chamber therebetween, a heating unit, comprising a plurality of interfitting refractory members having a plurality of grooves on the outer surface thereof, and a resistor member in said grooves, a heating-unit-supporting member electrically connected to said resistor member at the top of said unit, and a terminal bridge having secured thereto one end of said heating-unit-supporting member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of September 1923.

GEORGE M. BAYNE. 

